Announcement

**Udog** · 03-22-2016, 08:38 AM

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- Last 10 years, #1 seeds are 16-19 vs spread in regional semifinal round.

-- Wisconsin-Notre Dame is first 6-7 seed game in this round since 2005.

-- Gonzaga-Syracuse is only third 10-11 seed game ever; one of them was couple of years ago, when Dayton upset Stanford 82-72.

-- Since '05, when 2-3 seeds meet in regional semis, the underdog is 8-6 vs spread.

-- Golden State has lost 33 regular season games in a row at San Antonio- last time they won there in the regular season was 1997.

-- Mike Trout bunted for a hit Monday; his last bunt hit in regular season was way back in 2012.

**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.....

13) Chicago White Sox had one of their players quit because the team won't let his 14-year old son come to the ballpark with his dad every day, like he did last year. The guy (Adam LaRoche) walked away from a $12M a year job because of this- it is a complex issue. I'm not sure who is right; I am sure it is a big problem for the team.

-- LaRoche apparently had permission to do this last year, before he signed; the young kid went on road trips, came to the park every day, was practically a part of the team.
-- The young kid is a good kid, no one disputes this. He knows his place. Apparently he is being home-schooled.
-- Some players/staff privately complained to management.
-- Chris Sale, the team's biggest star, ripped the team's GM, called him a liar, after the GM asked LaRoche not to bring the kid in every day.
-- What does Mrs LaRoche saying about losing $12M over this?

I mean, the kid had his own locker/uniform; he did drills on the field and he is 14, so that is a little weird, but anytime the team's star is ripping the GM in mid-March, it is a very big problem. no matter who is right/wrong. Curious to see how it plays out.

12) Florida State lost at Valparaiso in the NIT; this is why Power 5 teams do not go on the road to play mid-majors- they could lose. In these tournaments, they have to go on the road if told. March exposes teams that are leery of playing on the road.

11) Xavier assistant coach Luke Murray is Bill Murray's son, but he claims never to have seen Caddyshack, an unthinkable thing, consdiering his boss Chris Mack does a decent imitation of greenskeeper Carl Spackler from that classic movie.

10) USC lost to Providence Thursday because they couldn't guard an out-of-bounds under play with 0:02.3 left in game. Not sure why teams insist on playing man-to-man defense on OB under plays. Back a long time ago, when I was a young person, all the teams played 2-3 zones on OB unders and rarely gave up easy hoops.

9) Coaching carousel: March is the time when basketball coaches change jobs.
-- Wyoming coach Larry Shyatt retired; no replacement has been named.
-- Oklahoma State hired Brad Underwood away from Stephen F Austin.
-- TCU hired alum Jamie Dixon away from the Pitt Panthers.

8) While I wasn't paying attention last week, Hulk Hogan won $140M in a lawsuit against a company that published a tape of Hogan having sex in a friend's house.

What would you do if you add $140M to spend?

7) San Diego State 93, Washington 78-- Aztecs sold out an NIT game on a Monday night. Thats how strong a program Steve Fisher has built. 12,000+ people-- wow.

6) Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell played college ball at Notre Dame; his manager there was Pat Murphy, who is now the Brewers' bench coach.

5) Iowa lost 87-68 to Villanova Sunday is 2-7 second round game.
Last year, Iowa lost 87-68 to Gonzaga in a 2-7 second round game.

Have to admire their consistency.

4) Former big league pitcher Josh Beckett was caddying on the Web.com Tour last weekend, for Brett Wetterich.

3) Florida is playing road games in NIT because its gym is being re-furbished.

2) So I'm watching an exhibition baseball game Monday afternoon, and the batter starts crabbing at the ump, which is unusual in the spring, then all of a sudden I realize why-- its my first CB Bucknor sighting this spring!!!!!

Universally recognized as the worst umpire in the major leagues, Bucknor is back for another year earning six figures even though everyone knows he isn't good at his job.

1) If they use a Wilson basketball during the NCAA tournament, why wouldn't you use one during the season? Teams use the basketball of whatever sneaker company pays them-- Nike, adidas or Under Armour. How different is each ball?

**Udog** · 03-22-2016, 08:38 AM

NBA

Tuesday, March 22

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Game of the Day: Rockets at Thunder
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Oklahoma City already clinched its playoff spot and is in tune-up mode with a 4 1/2-game lead over the Clippers for the No. 3 spot.

Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder (OFF)

The Houston Rockets are clinging to a playoff spot in the Western Conference as four teams battle for the final three slots. The Rockets aren’t getting much help from the schedule in their quest to move up the standings and will visit Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.

Houston fell at the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday and is one game ahead of the ninth-place Utah Jazz, who visit the Rockets on Wednesday. Starting with the loss to Atlanta on Saturday, Houston is playing a stretch of nine straight games against teams currently in the top eight of their respective conferences. The Thunder sit comfortably in third place in the West thanks to the heroics of Kevin Durant and Westbrook, who would likely be the leading MVP candidate if Golden State’s Stephen Curry weren’t enjoying a historic season. Westbrook picked up his 14th triple-double of the season with 14 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds in a 115-111 win at Indiana on Saturday and has recorded five triple-doubles in the last eight games to help Oklahoma City gain some separation from the fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers in the standings.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: n/a

INJURY REPORT:

Rockets - SG J. Harden (Questionable Tuesday, ankle)

Thunder - SF K. Durant (Probable Tuesday, elbow)
C S. Adams (Probable Tuesday, elbow)
SF K. Singler (Questionable Tuesday, back)

POWER RANKINGS: Rockets (-2) - Thunder (-9.8) + home court (-3) = Thunder -10.8

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (35-35): Houston is tied with the Dallas Mavericks for seventh place in the West, one game ahead of the Jazz and a half-game behind the sixth-place Portland Trail Blazers. The Rockets not only suffered a 109-97 loss to the Hawks on Saturday but also got involved in some controversy when center Dwight Howard was caught putting stickum on the basketball, and they were dealt a blow when James Harden sprained his ankle in the third quarter. Harden, who averages 28.6 points, reportedly could sit out practice on Monday and is day-to-day.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (48-22): Oklahoma City already clinched its playoff spot and is in tune-up mode with a 4 1/2-game lead over the Clippers for the No. 3 spot. Westbrook is in a bit of a shooting slump and went 4-of-17 from the field on Saturday, but keeps finding ways to help the team win. “I’m just trying to insert myself into the game,” Westbrook told reporters. “I know some nights shots won’t fall for me. I’m one of the only guys who can do different things on the floor - rebound, pass or defend – on a night-in, night-out basis. That’s what I try to do.”

TRENDS:

* Rockets are 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
* Thunder are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games playing on 2 days rest.
* Over is 7-0 in Rockets last 7 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
* Under is 5-0 in Thunder last 5 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.

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**Udog** · 03-22-2016, 08:39 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, March 22

Charlotte @ Brooklyn

Game 651-652
March 22, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
121.095
Brooklyn
114.287
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Charlotte
by 7
201
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
N/A

Houston @ Oklahoma City

Game 653-654
March 22, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
118.103
Oklahoma City
128.330
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 10
233
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
N/A

Miami @ New Orleans

Game 655-656
March 22, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
123.732
New Orleans
119.872
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 4
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
N/A

Memphis @ LA Lakers

Game 657-658
March 22, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
115.563
LA Lakers
114.449
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Memphis
by 1
197
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Memphis
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Memphis
N/A

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, March 22

Hot teams
-- Hornets won 10 of last 12 games; they upset the Spurs last nite at home (4-0 last 4AF).
-- Thunder won six of their last eight games (10-3 last 13HF).
-- Miami won seven of its last ten games (7-3 last 10AF).

Cold teams
-- Brooklyn lost six of its last seven games (6-12 last 18HU).
-- Rockets lost three of their last five games (8-12AU).
-- Pelicans lost five of last seven games; star Davis is now out for year (6-3 last 9HU).
-- Lakers lost six of their last eight games (3-2HF). Grizzlies lost four of their last six games (8-8AU).

Series records
-- Nets lost three of last four games with Charlotte.
-- Thunder lost five of last six games with Houston.
-- Pelicans won three of last four games with Miami.
-- Lakers lost their last nine games with Memphis.

Totals
-- Five of last seven Charlotte-Brooklyn games went over.
-- Six of last eight Houston games went over the total.
-- Last six Miami games went over the total.
-- Six of last seven Laker games stayed under the total.

Back/backs
-- Charlotte covered three of last four if it played night before.
-- Grizzlies are 10-4 vs spread if they played night before.

NBA

Tuesday, March 22

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Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:30 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. BROOKLYN
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 7 games when playing Brooklyn
Charlotte is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Brooklyn's last 12 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games

8:00 PM
MIAMI vs. NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 8 games when playing New Orleans
Miami is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of New Orleans's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of New Orleans's last 12 games when playing at home against Miami

8:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 8 games when playing at home against Houston

10:30 PM
MEMPHIS vs. LA LAKERS
Memphis is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games ,
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis's last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the LA Lakers last 7 games
LA Lakers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing Memphis

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**Udog** · 03-22-2016, 08:40 AM

Opening odds and early betting action on NCAA Sweet 16 matchups

“We've booked more action on North Carolina to win it all than any other team. Bettors have also been backing them each round and the Sweet 16 is no different,” says Bookmaker.eu.

After an opening weekend filled with upset stunners and heartbreaking losses, the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 is set. And for such a thrilling four days of “Big Dance” action, the remaining eight matchups are void of a true Cinderella team.

The biggest seeds left standing face off in a No. 10 versus No. 11 showdown, when the Syracuse Orange take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Midwest Regional semifinals. But while these teams are double-digit draws this year, it’s tough to call two power programs, like Syracuse and Gonzaga, true Cinderellas.

Oddsmakers opened with the No. 11 Bulldogs as low as 4-point favorites in Chicago Friday, with that number quickly being bet up to -4.5. In Las Vegas, sportsbook operator CG Technology opened the Zags as 5-point chalk.

According to online book CarbonGaming.ag, which opened Gonzaga -4.5, they’ve seen early money on the underdog.

“The Orange are getting 54 percent of the early action,” says Michael Stewart of CarbonGaming.ag, following Syracuse’s dominant 25-point win against Middle Tennessee State.

Outside of that meeting between double-digit seeds, the tournament has trickled down as many expected – for the most part.

No. 7 Wisconsin shocked No. 2 Xavier with a last-second shot Sunday, setting up the Badgers with No. 6 Notre Dame in the Sweet 16. Oddsmakers opened this game a pick’em and early money sided with the Fighting Irish, moving this spread to -1.5. Notre Dame avoided an upset of its own with a 76-75 victory over Stephen F. Austin in the Round of 32.

No. 2 Villanova Wildcats vs. No. 3 Miami Hurricanes - Open: +4, Move: +5, +4.5

The bottom half of the South Regional has the No. 2 Wildcats facing the No. 3 Hurricanes. Oddsmakers opened Villanova as low as -4 and watched action bet the line up as high as -5 before buyback on Miami, trimmed a half a point from that spread.

“We initially took Nova money from a lot of the public and one player we respect. We moved the spread to +5 but then quickly got action from some smart bettors so we moved back to the opener of -4.5,” John Lester, line manager for Bookmaker.eu says. “It will be interesting to see where this goes but there haven't been a lot of Hurricanes backers in the tournament thus far.”

Villanova has rolled through its first two tournament opponents, crushing UNC-Asheville and Iowa to advance to the Sweet 16. Miami, on the other hand, was challenged by Buffalo in the opening round but looked sound against Wichita State in the Round of 32.

No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers – Open: +4.5, Move: +6

Online books opened North Carolina as low as -4.5 versus Indiana, but according to CG Technology some of their oddsmakers wanted the spread even lower for this East Regional semifinal Friday.

“Indiana versus UNC is, in my opinion, the most intriguing matchup and it was a tricky one to make a line for,” Jason Simbal, vice president of risk management for CG Technology, tells Covers. “Our team ranged from 3.5 to 6 and we went with the higher end based on the expectation of a lot of public bets on the Tar Heels coming Saturday.”

The move to six has been pushed by public money, says Bookmaker.eu. Wiseguys have yet to have an opinion on this name-brand Sweet 16 showdown. North Carolina has been one of the biggest public draws of the NCAA tournament, for games and outright winner futures as well.

“We've booked more action on North Carolina to win it all than any other team. Bettors have also been backing them each round and the Sweet 16 is no different,” says Lester. “We opened Tar Heels -4.5 and have moved to -6 currently. It's mostly public money at this point but if the sharps get involved on that side, we'll really need a Hoosiers cover.”

No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers vs. No. 4 Iowa State Cyclones – Open: +6, Move: +5

The No. 1 Cavaliers opened as 6-point favorites for their meeting with the No. 4 Cyclones in Chicago Thursday, and according to CG Technology early money is siding with the underdog. Simbal says the second most money wagered for the Sweet 16 is on Iowa State, trimming a half a point from their opener.

Online books, like CarbonGaming.ag, are down to Virginia -5 with 60 percent of the early money grabbing the points with the underdog.

The Cyclones breezed past Iona in the Round of 64 and rolled Arkansas-Little Rock in the Round of 32, scoring a total of 172 points in those contests. Iowa State ranks 14th in the nation in scoring, averaging 82.1 points per game, and now faces a methodical Virginia program that thrives on defense and extending possessions.

The Cavaliers play the slowest tempo in the country, according to KenPom.com, leaving books to set Thursday's total at 141 points – the lowest number for an Iowa State game all season. According to Stewart, early total bettors are expecting Virginia to dictate the pace, with 92 percent of the early handle siding with the Under.

Remaining NCAA Sweet 16 odds:

No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies vs. No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners (-2, 145)
No. 5 Maryland Terrapins vs. No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks (-7, 147)
No. 4 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 1 Oregon Ducks (-2.5, 156)

**Udog** · 03-22-2016, 08:40 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Tuesday, March 22

St. Mary's @ Valparaiso

Game 659-660
March 22, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Mary's
61.279
Valparaiso
67.907
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Valparaiso
by 6 1/2
127
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Valparaiso
by 4 1/2
132
Dunkel Pick:
Valparaiso
(-4 1/2); Under

Creighton @ Brigham Young

Game 661-662
March 22, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Creighton
65.610
Brigham Young
72.777
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brigham Young
by 7
171
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Brigham Young
by 4 1/2
165
Dunkel Pick:
Brigham Young
(-4 1/2); Over

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, March 22

NIT
St Mary's won 10 of last 11 games, losing to Gonzaga in WCC finals in Las Vegas; Gaels won last four true road games- this is their first away game in 24 days. St Mary's is #331 experience team with lot of kids from Australia- probably not as disappointed to not be in NCAAs. Valpo is #31 in experience; they've won 13 of last 15 games. Horizon is 2-1 vs WCC this year; all three games were decided by 6 or less points.

BYU won eight of last ten games, with both losses to Gonzaga; they've scored 87.5 ppg in winning first two NIT games, by 18-3. Cougars are making 38.5% on arc (#24)- they start two seniors. Creighton lost three true road games in row by 13-4-5 points; they're 3-5 in last eight games overall. Bluejays went 0-3 in non-conference road games, losing by 21-3-13 points at Indiana-Loyola Chi-Oklahoma. This should be a fast game, as in lot of up-and-down play.

NCAAB

Tuesday, March 22

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Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
ST. MARY'S vs. VALPARAISO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Mary's last 8 games on the road
St. Mary's is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Valparaiso is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Valparaiso is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home

9:00 PM
CREIGHTON vs. BYU
Creighton is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Creighton is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
BYU is 1-3-2 ATS in its last 6 games
BYU is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games

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**Udog** · 03-22-2016, 09:05 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, March 22

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CHARLOTTE (40 - 30) at BROOKLYN (19 - 50) - 3/22/2016, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 5-4 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE is 5-4 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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HOUSTON (35 - 35) at OKLAHOMA CITY (48 - 22) - 3/22/2016, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 5-4 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 5-4 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MIAMI (40 - 29) at NEW ORLEANS (26 - 43) - 3/22/2016, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 3-2 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 3-2 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MEMPHIS (41 - 30) at LA LAKERS (14 - 55) - 3/22/2016, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 6-3 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 10-1 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NCAAB
Long Sheet

Tuesday, March 22

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ST MARYS-CA (29 - 5) at VALPARAISO (28 - 6) - 3/22/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST MARYS-CA is 11-24 ATS (-15.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
ST MARYS-CA is 34-22 ATS (+9.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST MARYS-CA is 34-22 ATS (+9.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
ST MARYS-CA is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
ST MARYS-CA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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CREIGHTON (20 - 14) at BYU (25 - 10) - 3/22/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BYU is 219-165 ATS (+37.5 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
BYU is 138-104 ATS (+23.6 Units) in all home games since 1997.
BYU is 138-104 ATS (+23.6 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
BYU is 59-39 ATS (+16.1 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1997.
BYU is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) in all tournament games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Udog** · 03-22-2016, 05:19 PM

NCAAB
Short Sheet

Tuesday, March 22

St Mary's at Valparaiso, 7:00 ET
St Mary's: 10-1 ATS after a non-conference game
Valparaiso: 6-0 UNDER after 2 games with 9 or less offensive rebounds

Creighton at BYU, 9:00 ET
Creighton: 8-1 ATS off 2 consecutive home wins by 10 points or more
BYU: BYU is 5-14 ATS in all tournament games

NBA
Short Sheet

Tuesday, March 22

Charlotte at Brooklyn, 7:35 ET
Charlotte: 14-5 ATS on Tuesday nights
Brooklyn: 3-10 ATS after failing to cover 4 of their last 5 against the spread

Houston at Oklahoma City, 8:00 ET
Houston: 54-29 ATS after a non-conference game
Oklahoma City: 17-33 ATS after playing 2 consecutive games as favorite

Miami at New Orleans, 8:05 ET
Miami: 4-2 ATS after a blowout win by 20 points or more
New Orleans: 1-8 ATS against Southeast division opponents

Memphis at LA Lakers, 10:35 ET
Memphis: 5-14 ATS after 2 or more consecutive wins
Los Angeles: 16-9 ATS after failing to cover 4 of their last 5 against the spread

Announcement

Tuesday's NBA and NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 3/22

Tuesday's NBA and NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 3/22

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